Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment of GI Disorders in Children with Autism

Consider GI symptoms when a child with autism spectrum disorder presents with new problem behaviors.

A consensus statement was recently published to guide pediatricians in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

GI conditions in children with ASD include (in descending order of prevalence) chronic constipation, abdominal pain (with or without diarrhea), encopresis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), abdominal bloating, and disaccharidase deficiencies. Whether the prevalence of these conditions is higher in children with ASD than in the general population is not known because prospective well-controlled studies are not available. The prevalence of GI conditions among children with ASD ranges from 9% to 70% in various studies, most of which have methodol…

Reviewing Author

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics